Mirror Magic and the Evolution of a Modern Witch with Michael Herkes, the Glam Witch

When magic intertwines with the fabric of our daily lives, transformation awaits at every corner. This week, Michael Herkes, the gleaming beacon known as the Glam Witch, joins me for an intimate conversation that stirs the soul and ignites the personal embers of evolution. From the empowering goddess worship to the crafting of spells with a personal touch, Michael delves into the roots of their magical journey, sharing the profound growth born from embracing their identity and the whispers of a potential Romani heritage.

Immerse yourself in the creative fusion of astrology and glamour magic, as the Glam Witch reveals the secrets of dressing with celestial intention and the reflective powers of mirror magic. Discover the enchanting synergy between Michael's vibrant aesthetic and the natural world, a testament to the notion that our craft is an evolving tapestry, reflecting our inner metamorphosis. We peer into the cauldron of Michael's journey, witnessing a path that has evolved from intricate spell-work to an intuitive embrace of the magical currents that sweep through life.

Cap off this magical soiree with a glimpse into Michael's upcoming literary concoction, "Glamstrology," and the charming practice of self-dates that celebrate the art of self-adoration. From the tender memories of beloved pets to the spark of excitement for future explorations in diverse witchcraft literature, this episode is a kaleidoscope of stories, advice, and heartfelt musings. Settle in for an hour that promises to leave you bewitched by the allure of personal transformation and the endless possibilities that lie within the realm of witchcraft.


theglamwitch.com

Kim: 0:04

Welcome back to Your Average Witch, where every Tuesday we talk about witch life, witch stories and sometimes a little witchcraft. Your Average Witch is brought to you by Crepuscular Conjuration. This week I'm talking to Michael Herkes, the Glam Witch. Michael shared their daily practice, talked about the effect of witchcraft on their life and discussed a big change they've recently made. Now let's get to the stories. So hello Michael, welcome to the show.

Michael: 0:34

Thank you so much for having me.

Kim: 0:36

Can you please introduce yourself and let everybody know who you are and what you do and where they can find you.

Michael: 0:42

Sure, yeah, my name is Michael Herkes. I'm also known as the glam witch. Uh, I am an author of oh my gosh, at this point, I think it's eight books on witchcraft, and I've been, uh, practicing modern witchcraft for over 20 years. At this point, um, you can find me online. I'm pretty much um more active on instagram under the handle at theglamwitch, as well as my website, www. theglamwitch. com, and that will kind of point to all of my actual official pages, of course, as well as have up-to-date information on different classes and other offerings, and you can book readings and all that good stuff.

Kim: 1:23

Links will be in show notes, so be sure you check that out and go and follow Michael immediately. Can you tell me, tell us, what it means when you call yourself a witch?

Michael: 1:35

Yeah, I mean it's such a loaded question, but I think at this point what I've kind of nailed it down as is to me a witch is someone who, um, is very much integrated with the forces of nature. Now, we hear that a lot. We kind of hear that, as you know, or think that that's kind of maybe just limited to the elements around us. You know the trees, the plants, the sky, the weather and things like that but it's also very much the cosmos and what the planets and the stars are doing, as well as our own internal landscape, our inner natures, our desires, our wants, our fears, our traumas, things like that. Who is very intricately connected to all aspects of those various types of nature and from having my hands in all of those various different pools can then create change in the world around me.

Kim: 2:38

Would you say you have any family history with witchcraft or what was, if you're okay going into it? What was your spiritual background growing up?

Michael: 2:48

So I my family was Catholic, christian. Of course I was kind of not interested in that, but you know, I started practicing witchcraft at a very early age. So it was about. It was oh, geez, like, geez, like 2000, 2001. So I was about 11 years old, so junior high.

Michael: 3:08

Um, of course we had like buffy charmed the craft, all of those things going on, practical magic, and a lot of the other friends at school were all kind of like interested in witchcraft and wicca and like seeing those books and stuff at the library, and so I got very much into it and really loved the idea that there was. I liked the idea of nature, but I also liked the idea of goddess worship and female divinity, because I was always more connected to femininity than I was kind of the idea of masculinity and this masculine divine force. So I liked that there was both with more of an emphasis on the feminine and even though it wasn't very much like what Hollywood or what I call real R-E-E-L witchcraft, you know it was, it just kind of made me feel empowered and also coming to terms with my sexuality as a young queer individual. I just loved it and I felt like there was a lot more peace there. Now, as far as, like, there are some stories Like my mom has mentioned to me before, that when I was a kid, like very young, like I don't know, like one or two or something like that, but in like the 4th of July, there was this field in my hometown where, like the fireworks always got let off and everyone wanted to be on this, like one very big hill area, and I guess I threw a big temper tantrum and they had to like leave with me because it was just I was not stopping, and as soon as they got off the hill, like there was a huge fire that broke out right where we were and my mom kind of always jokes like you are always a witch, like you you've always been thinking about, like you are always there, and so, um, but yeah, I mean, growing up too, I was always very much interested in like the witches and television and stories and the media.

Michael: 4:59

So all of the disney movies, wizard of oz, all of that I just loved, like the evil queen or the witch archetype, I just felt like their storylines were so much more interesting and I just I just wanted to be them and so, of course, naturally that kind of evolved into me taking a liking to, to modern witchcraft.

Michael: 5:16

But also I have a Hungarian background, from what I've been told. But I literally just bought, finally, like an ancestry DNA kit. So I'm interested to see, sort of like what lineage I have, because I have been told that, like from my grandmother's side, on my father's side, that we go back to kind of like uh, like I have gypsy heritage. So I'm interested to see if, like you know, knowing that I have a lot of Hungarian in me and that the Romani gypsies were like from that area. At the same time too, I'm just curious to see if there is like truth to it or if there was just, you know, these were just our parents talking and telling us crap, so, um, so I'll report back with those findings when I have them yay, that's exciting.

Kim: 5:57

Yes, maybe we're cousins. I have cousins and not cousins, but I have. I can trace back to prague, which is vaguely in that area Very lovely.

Michael: 6:06

You know I went to Prague. I've gone to Prague twice and I was there for an amazing experience last year. I just want to share real quick, like it was, because I just saw the memories of it coming up on like Facebook and stuff.

Kim: 6:18

Yay.

Michael: 6:19

There was a February, so I went to this like yoga spiritual retreat that was hosted by an actress that played on this little show. For anyone watching that might remember, it called Xena, and so she was a villainous and very much dark goddess archetype and I just I've always resonated with that character, whose name was Kalisto, and so the actress and instructor, her name is Hudson Lake, and so I went to Prague. I was there for about, I want to say it was like a five-day retreat or so in a very desolate, isolated town, maybe like an hour north of it, like the mountain area, and it was so peaceful and I just found so much of myself from that moment. It was just lovely, like it was so quiet up there too, and I learned that like silence has a sound, because I live in chicago and like big city environment, of course, you're always used to hearing things, and so like silence was, it had a very unique, beautiful sound to it, and I just remember too, one morning we um, some of the other, uh, individuals that I had met there, we were doing this meditation and she told us to kind of visualize white flowers of peace falling on us.

Michael: 7:32

And you know, we did our meditations, and then we had like a free afternoon, so we went exploring and we got to like explore some like abandoned houses, factories and castles, and it was really, really cool. But then, out of nowhere, while we were out there, all of this snow started coming down, but it was very angular, like huge chunks of snow is very beautiful, and we literally were like wait, this is the white flowers of peace that we were all just kind of thinking about and manifesting. So it was a really cool experience and and yeah, it's so you mentioned Prague and this is where my mind went.

Kim: 8:04

That's awesome. Did you get to eat delicious pastry in Europe?

Michael: 8:09

So I did a little bit. I don't have that much of a sweet tooth, so one place I did stop in Prague was the. It was like a really good macaroon place and while we were on the retreat it was all it was vegan food made fresh every day. So no pastries really there, but it was very, very good.

Kim: 8:33

Nice yeah, can you introduce us to your practice, like any consistent things you do? If you do anything daily, can you show us your daily rituals or anything?

Michael: 8:45

yeah, I mean it's changed over time a little bit. And I would say my very first book, the glam witch. It was a documentation of my practice up until that point and, um, glam ended up being an acronym for what I call the great lilithian arcane mysteries. I've been a devotee of lilith for a very long time, I mean pretty much since I started practicing. I'd say I kind of dedicated myself to her around 2004. So I wrote a book about my practice specifically with her, which is a very Venusian kind of practice, and so there's a lot of info on that in that book for anybody that really wants the very, very long story.

Michael: 9:25

But in my world I focus a lot on astrology. I look at a lot of the cosmos and try to see what the planets are doing, if not on a daily, because sometimes I get a little lazy and stuff like that but at least on a weekly basis of what's happening in the stars and how is that affecting us here and what can that do for me. And then a lot of mirror magic. So as a glamor, which is the glam witch, so to speak, to glamor magic, is a huge part of my process. So dressing for with intention, whether it's aligning it with an astrological theme, or just the days. So it's Friday, say we're, we're chatting and I'm in red with heart sunglasses, because it's aligning it with an astrological theme, or just the days. So it's friday, say we're chatting and I'm in red with heart sunglasses, because it's venus's day, right, um, and you know, mirror magic is kind of the idea that I've taught before. Like we look at the reflection, like all day long, like a lot of it us, it's the very first thing that we do when we wake up in the morning, after we go to the bathroom or grab a drink of water or something like that. But when we are looking in the mirror as magical minded people, if we start focusing on things that we don't like about ourselves, then we're amplifying that energy in the real world. So mirror magic to kind of help focus on what it is that I like and how I want to amplify my projection on a daily basis is very much in my practice as well, and recently as of maybe like the last two months, I've developed a morning walk that I like to go on.

Michael: 10:53

I like to do a minimum an hour walk out by Lake Michigan through some of the forest preserves that we have here just to connect with nature. But we haven't had a cold winter in chicago, thankfully, like it's been mostly in like the mid 30s and 40s. So like the we haven't had cold winters in chicago for a very long time, I know, but like it's normally, like people think it's like super frigid out here and it's not um, but I it's lovely. I like to experience all of the different seasons and breathe in that fresh, cooler air and see the like to experience all of the different seasons and breathe in that fresh, cooler air and see the changing of it all as the months progress and welcome the sun as it rises over Lake Michigan. So that's become a very like meditative, beautiful way to start my day and then do a nice sun salutation to welcome the day as well. That's kind of been my morning practices as of late.

Kim: 11:47

That sounds so nice.

Michael: 11:49

It's nice, it's lovely. I enjoy it.

Kim: 11:55

It didn't occur to me that you could see the sunrise over Lake Michigan. That sounds so cool.

Michael: 12:01

Literally comes up and it's I will kind of touch on too. Like in the like the last year or so I've kind of started to work with aphrodite more and um, and kind of dedicating myself to her now, and so that's kind of a moment that I share with her every morning, because she's connected to water and is considered the golden one. So seeing the, the golden rays of the sun come up over the water is, um, it's just a very magical moment where I kind of check in and connect with her that sounds super nice it's lovely.

Michael: 12:35

It didn't happen today, though, because it's been raining all day and it won't stop until tomorrow morning, so I might not get to do it then either, but, um, but I'll take it you know, I need rain, I guess we need rain.

Kim: 12:48

It's raining here too, and I don't want it to right, it's like we have.

Michael: 12:52

We have to have the cloudy days just as much as we have to have the sunny days. It's like that's another part of being a witch. It's like we can't always be. Um, you know, when I mentioned like being tapped into our inner circles of nature too, it's like we're gonna have those bad days internally. We're gonna have the good ones too. So, um, it's all about balance, and so today is one of those, those dark and gloomy days how has witchcraft changed your life?

Michael: 13:23

you know there's a. It's interesting that she mentioned that, so I'll tell a little bit of a story. So last week I actually had brunch with someone I really admired for a while. Her name was Madame X and she's a drag queen here in Chicago who I started seeing back maybe 13 years or so ago. She was performing at this restaurant called the Kit Kat Lounge and Supper Club here in Chicago who I started seeing back maybe 13 years or so ago. She was performing at this restaurant called the Kit Kat Lounge and Supper Club here in Chicago and we just, you know, over the years I just started going on a weekly basis and connecting with her and so I learned a lot from her about the ideas of performance and some style techniques and things like that over the years. And so she kind of retired and kind of gave up performing a couple of years ago and we lost touch but were able to connect and upon walking in she was just kind of shocked. She's like who is this?

Michael: 14:17

This isn't the Michael that I used to know, this isn't the little boy that I met 13 years ago, who just kind of was quiet and wore like plaid and and khakis, like no, you know, you've really evolved and I can't even imagine that I know, into this beautiful goddess and she was like you know you, I always saw this in you, I knew that it was there, but it took you time to get it and she, she had brought up that like this is very much like the evolution of your style and your presence and how you carry yourself now and the confidence that you have and just the radiation like I want to say radiation, but maybe that's not the right word but the light that you radiate, um, she's like. This is very much evidence of your witchcraft. This is what you do. You've you've changed your life, you've become creative. You didn't, you know? Your witchcraft has inspired creativity within you and you are now walking in that and you walk and people just look at you and are like, oh my God, who is that? And she's like that is your witchcraft.

Michael: 15:19

So I would say that, hearing that vocalized back to me last week, I'd say witchcraft has changed my life in that everything that she had just said there, that it really has evolved me into an individual who holds myself accountable for my own empowerment and find ways to shine that out and reflect that out into the world to help other people do the same. So inspiring creativity, inspiring joy. Inspiring art around me is how it has changed my life.

Kim: 15:55

I love that, so it helped you find yourself. It sounds like What'd you say what was that? Sounds like it helped you find yourself what'd you say?

Michael: 16:06

what was that? Sounds like it helped you find yourself. Yeah, very much it was. It was very much um a, a tool for self-discovery, but also so much um empowerment, and I, like that's kind of the word, that's that's in my mind so much right now it's just feeling so self-empowered, like you know, I I think too, there was um recent I forget which award show it was, but Niecy Nash, the actress, had won an award, I think for Best Actress, best Supporting Actress or something like that, and I've always loved her.

Michael: 16:31

But her award, her speech, was so moving and I literally could feel it vibrate through me because she was like I want to thank myself because I was the one that has have pushed me here. I'm the one that had pick up the pieces, um, for all of the negative things that have happened in my life. You know I'm the one that's been up late at night, you know, doing xyz. You know I'm the one that's been the driving force behind it all and I truly, truly feel that and um, so I'm very, very much thankful for me. Witchcraft has helped me find me, the magic of me, the magic inside of me.

Kim: 17:05

So that makes me happy. Yeah, yay. What would you say is the biggest motivator in your practice, and has it changed since you first started out?

Michael: 17:18

oh it's, it definitely has changed. I mean, I can't remember exactly what, like my, I think at the very beginning, like my first motivator for being a witch was to find a boyfriend and to hex bullies. Like those were my motivators. Right, they need it, they need that. I wanted a hot man and to kick some bullies, but basically, yeah, vengeance, love and vengeance right, that's how we are. People come into witchcraft for one of the two ways.

Kim: 17:45

It's usually those two ways.

Michael: 17:47

So, or money, so you know. Now, to me, the motivating factor is seeing the growth. It is seeing that, the spells and the witch, like the change that I want to see happen in my life, it having it actually happen. But then also seeing the evolution of who I've become, who I am becoming, and literally kind of, in a way, um, being a viewer to my own personal past, present and future all at the same time. That, to me, is my motivator, like Like it's. It's, it's, yes, it's very me focused, but again it's it's about finding my own personal empowerment and things.

Michael: 18:30

And so I it's not so much the, the spells anymore, it's not so much, um, you know, not even necessarily the cause. I mean, at the same time, I'm an author and you know I'm creating this, this brand, that is the glam witch. You know it's not even excuse me so much that it's more of just this. How am I, how am I growing, how am I evolving and how can I be a witness to it? Um, in in this moment, that's my motivator what was it when you first started?

Kim: 19:01

just the vengeance and love love, vengeance and love that's I just. It's just fun to say that I wanted to say it again in the beginning you.

Michael: 19:12

and then I mean, yeah, it's like you come in because you want. You want to like bring back a lover, you know, get some cash, you right. You want to like start manifesting all that stuff in your life and if you stick with it, you know, over time that kind of goes away. I still want stuff, but I find I don't know. To me it's like I've realized that I am again the motivator, the composer to it, like the driver to all of the force. So if I can get behind me and finding the empowerment within, all of the other things will perfectly align and even if it doesn't, I become a magnet for pulling and attracting more of that good stuff to me, mm-hmm.

Kim: 20:03

What would you say is your biggest struggle with witchcraft?

Michael: 20:09

um patience, uh, I'm a very impatient individual, so, um, I mean, you know, as much as I try, uh, you know, sometimes I just can't get behind that patience I got an aries moon, so there's like next to none I'm an. Aries sun. So that's never going to happen.

Kim: 20:29

I was wondering if you had any.

Michael: 20:31

Yeah, it's IOA Patience, no, so yeah. So again, like if I'm doing a spell, it's like you know, can it just happen already? Or like can I get a response to that email? Like just anything. Like I'm just I want it now. And at the same time too, it's like I do kind of very much live in a very now focused time, because tomorrow is not promised and there's no point in driving forward, constantly looking back in the rear view mirror you'll crash. So I really try to focus so much on the now and that's, I think, one of the reasons why you know that amplifies the kind of impatient aspect of me. So, yes, I struggle with the patience aspect of witchcraft but at the same time to again getting behind the motivation. So, for example, you know I'll share too starting to work out with, starting to work with Aphrodite.

Michael: 21:26

When I've spent the last 20 years solely devoted to one specific goddess, you kind of forget how you form a relationship with another spirit, another entity, another divinity, and so it was a little like crippling in the beginning for me because I was like, oh my God, can't I like be dedicated and like have all of the mysteries down pat now?

Michael: 21:46

No, but that's why, like witchcraft is a mystery tradition. It's a mystery spiritual path. It's mystery based and I remember being a baby witch and really not understanding what the hell that meant. But now I have evolved to understand that it's just part of the mystery is experience, and so you have to go through the experiences and then you know also very much, pay attention to the signs and synchronicities as they add up. So another you know piggybacking off of like motivation to things. It's also the signs and synchronicities of things that are either working or not working, and tapping into that and experiencing that. So in some ways some like once that kind of starts rolling, I can like ease up on the whole patient situation because it's like oh, I see that it's working and so you're seeing the results, essentially so and recognizing that that's what it is.

Kim: 22:46

Yes, something I need to work on.

Michael: 22:49

Yeah, Cause it's those little things where I'm like, oh shit, you know what the magic is working. Let me just let me simmer down and sit down.

Kim: 23:02

Would you say that you ever have to deal with imposter syndrome in yourself? And if you do, what do you do about it?

Michael: 23:10

yeah, very much. So I would say that the imposter syndrome very much comes in. As an author, um, you know, and I think it really hits hard on any type of creative individuals. So I'm sure that other a lot, a lot of witches, creative, like, it's just part of us, right, it's, you know, just just tapping into your will and stuff, just naturally you are, we are, creative beings. But you know, with me specifically, I, yes, I'm an author of various books and stuff, but at the same time too, it's, you know, the Glam Witch has become a, a brand. It wasn't kind of necessarily designed that way, but it has over time, and so sometimes, um, I think, just like anybody else that's kind of in a creative field, that releases a project or a piece of art or something like that into the world.

Michael: 23:58

You know we deal with the criticism we deal with, you know there's, there's, you know, every type of art, every book. It's not always for, you know there's. You know every type of art, every book it's not always for every person. There's going to be people that love it, there's going to be people that don't like it and there's people that are going to be very vocal about it. So the criticism that comes through as well as seeing the other individuals and kind of gauging yourself and your success based off of other people. I've done, I've gotten so much better at that, and it really there is that kind of quote not to judge yourself based on somebody else or something like that, that there's always people that are greater and lesser than us. So try not to kind of measure yourself according to other people's successes and stuff. But I mean that's kind of where it comes in and or it has in the past and it will, but it comes in waves and so the best way that I've been able to to overcome it is just to kind of ride the wave, ride that emotion, feel that moment of anger or jealousy or envy or sadness or what the fuck you know any of those emotions. Literally just ride the wave and and and then it will calm down and you'll feel empowered again.

Michael: 25:14

You know I I lean into new creative urges and trying to figure out ways that like, okay, let's do do it better. You know it's like I look back at some of my other my earlier books and I you know one of the criticisms of war, that the spells and the rituals I do had too many ingredients in it and I'm like, well, that's just what I, how I do it, and so that I've written some other books that you know only called for one ingredient and people loved that one. So it's, you know, it's I don't know, the imposter syndrome can come in waves and stuff, and I've just I try not to let it bother me anymore and I try not to allow what other people are wanting to influence my art and creative force anymore, even in me being a witch. So I just, I don't know, I've, I've that negative voice is always going to be there, but again it comes in waves. You just got to ride it out and power on and be authentically you.

Michael: 26:09

That's the best I can say. Sounds good to me.

Kim: 26:17

What brings you the most joy in your practice.

Michael: 26:26

I would say that the most joy comes from just the beauty of it, paying attention to the beauty of the witchcraft, so I may. Of course, you know, being a glamour witch is very aesthetic based. So if I'm doing a ritual, tapping into and seeing the beauty of the altar, something that I put together, the beauty of the soft glow of the candlelight, and then just again paying attention to the nature around me and the beauty of the soft glow of the candlelight, uh in, and then just again paying attention to the nature around me and the beauty of the world, that gives me the most joy and and knowing that I'm a part of it and knowing that I'm, um, a conductor of it, uh, in the symphony of the magic that is my life, that is what brings, brings me to this room.

Kim: 27:05

That sounds so good. What a good phrase.

Michael: 27:09

Thank you. It just came through me, so it's part of that beauty.

Kim: 27:13

Beautiful. What is something you did early on in your practice that you don't do anymore, and why don't you?

Michael: 27:25

I don't cast circle anymore, or rarely I will if I'm in like a public setting or if I'm with other people, but I'm a solitary individual. So the main reason is that I just feel like my home and the space that I'm in. It's so much connected to the magic of me already that I don't need to create another layer of protection. I think that there are reasons for it and I think that it's a lovely tool for individuals, especially baby witches to kind of start with, because it really helps focus your intention to be able to get to that state of mind where you can start to manifest and you can really start to kind of do the magic work. But having done it for so long, it just doesn't, it doesn't feel necessary anymore. And the same can be said for, like, elaborate spells and rituals.

Michael: 28:14

That's something that I don't do too often and that much anymore, and it's it's kind of something I've shared with other practitioners that I am friends with, that have practiced a long time. It's just kind of this thing now where, like, if I have a need for something and I think about it and I kind of you know, put it in in focus, it just kind of comes into fruition, and I think that that's just a part of growing um and evolving in your personal craft. You, you use the tools in the beginning, you use the ritual formats in the beginning, it's it's all the training wheels to get to where you need to be. And then, once you're finally there and you've tapped into the magic of your mind and and the magic of you, you then can start manifesting anything speaking of tools, what a lovely segue you set me up with.

Kim: 29:04

Imagine that what is your favorite tool? It doesn't have to be like physical object. It can be like an idea or a song or whatever what is your favorite tool and? How do you use it?

Michael: 29:17

so my favorite tool is, um, like, my favorite traditional tool is, uh, my athame. Um, it's one I've had since I was a teenager and it's a uh, it's the same one. It's it's a brass mermaid handle and it's a dagger and it's a very it's. To me it's very sexy and like voluptuous, but at the same time very pointy and sharp, and I just I love how it looks. It's very beautiful, um, and it's the same um design of the the, the one that Fiona Horne has, who's my magical mentor. So there's a lot of meaning behind it to me and the fact that I was able to find one online. You know, that was just kind of all like happened.

Michael: 29:58

So I use the athame for directing energy, of course. I mean, if I'm going to do a casting of a circle, I'll use it to cast a circle. If I'm going to kind of charge an object or something, I will use that as well. I know that forever. I grew up with the whole idea that, like, your athame isn't supposed to use to cut anything physical, but now I use it to cut physical things in a ritual format. So if I have to carve something into a candle, I'll use it. If I have to cut an apple for an offering to Aphrodite, I'll use it. Um, so that's, that's my favorite and most like beloved witch tool. Um, but other than that, I would just say my clothing, my clothing that I wear, that helps tap me into the witchy vibes that I want to conjure that day.

Kim: 30:43

Do you have a favorite outfit?

Michael: 30:47

Do you have a favorite outfit? That's a real tough one. I maybe not favorite. I'm really loving my current one that I'm wearing a lot, but I wouldn't say necessarily favorite outfit, but favorite type of outfit. I've kind of like my signature look has evolved into the caftan. Um, I love the caftan. It's very magical to me, even if we look back at, like some images and stuff of like famous witches and stuff from the past, like andora from bewitched, always in a caftan, you know so caftans and very flowy robes, they they feel very magical when the air touches them and stuff they they tend to float, create this illusions of floating and I just I've I've fallen in love with them. They're simple, yet elegant and timeless and that's why I like them.

Kim: 31:37

Can you pick out one decision that you've made that completely changed the course of your life?

Michael: 31:43

Yes, I actually need to say two, the first. The first one is like the overall big one and it's really really big. So when I was 25, I started dating someone who was 25 years older than me and we were together for about two and a half years and it was a really horrific relationship A lot of gaslighting, a lot of just very toxic and abusive emotionally for me. But I stayed in it and also in those two and a half years I pretty much gave up my witchcraft. I wasn't focused on it. I kind of you know, to use my little analogy of real witchcraft it was that time where I was that witch that wanted to lead a normal life and I wanted to have the older husband in the suburbs with the white picket fence and all that garbage or I'll say that now there's garbage to me. But yeah, I really drowned, I kind of allowed myself to it's the right word have my spark be blown out, basically from this relationship. And so while I was in it, towards the end, I still had like I had two statues of Lilith in my house, in my apartment, and I had like a floating shelf that one of them was on and I came home one day after a weekend with him and the statue was like no-transcript, like let me clean up the dust and keep the one centered fragment that I have of it and put that on back on the shelf. But then three weeks later, my other statue. I wake up and she's shattered on the ground and I'm like, oh okay, well, now something's telling me, something's up here and I really had to look in.

Michael: 33:50

Then I started to look and examine and I'm like I'm literally in this very Lilith-Adam relationship and for anybody that's listening that doesn't know what I'm talking about with that, so Lilith in a lot of her mythologies was considered to be Adam's first wife who left him. He wanted her to be submissive to her, to lay below him, so to speak, and she left. She flew to the beaches and the caves by the Red Sea and started to live a life of fornication and all of that. Some say she was the one that was the serpent that went back and and gave us knowledge through Eve and the fruit and all of that stuff, but anyways, it was.

Michael: 34:30

I started to really kind of realize I am literally in my own Adam relationship and I am allowing myself to be submissive to this horrific person that's putting me through so much like emotional strain, you know, just just so much negative stuff. And so it was in that moment that I I literally could like, just felt like I was possessed. Um, I went to his house and broke up with him and it was raining, it was cold, I had no coat, it was literally like hailing outside, and I just still have this vision of myself walking down the street like in slow motion, being drenched, but knowing like I have to do this and I have to do it now. And so, yes, leaving that relationship was one of the biggest parts of my witchcraft, because it was from that I got chills, it's flipping supernatural, like the way that I look about it and think about it. And I briefly touched on it a little bit in the first book, the Glam Witch, to kind of illustrate just kind of like again, the signs and synchronicities of things, the falling of the statues, those, those types of things. And it was immediately after that happened that just empowerment came swishing back into my life. And two years later I found myself at a festival and like, immediately like a witchcraft festival, and then getting a job working at a magazine from there and starting to write and then starting to do my books and like everything took off because I was able to do that and make that sacrifice and learn that like no relationship is worth it, no relationship is worth being put down on a regular basis, being cheated on regularly, all of the various different things, and so I'm very happy to not be in that relationship anymore. But anyways, that was my major one, but there's another one that's like very recent that I haven't shared and I think this would be a fun one to do. But I I stopped drinking alcohol as of the first of the year and so Thank you.

Michael: 36:28

I was a very heavy drinker for a while. There's some heavy like. There's some health concerns. I was gaining massive amounts of weight too, so it was part of like a weight loss journey for myself, just to get healthier. I gave that up, and so I thought it would only be for like a month or something like that, but it's it's stuck and I really want to keep it up at this point because I'm feeling so much better. I feel like I look a lot better and my skin is better, like there's just so many different very like I'm saving money. There's so many different levels of like how I'm winning from this.

Michael: 37:02

And I still go out. I still frequently go out. I have to see my friends and mingle and stuff like that. But you know what? I have a Diet Coke or a soda water, or there's so many now like new alcohol-free spirits that are out. So, and from a magical perspective, I feel so much more in tune with nature and everything around me than being in the fogginess of a hangover or things like that. So I don't want to sit here and preach and do all of that fogginess of a hangover or things like that, and so I don't want to sit here and preach and do all of that. But I did want to share that like it's. It has been very changing to me in my practice and so I'm excited to see how it will evolve from here well, welcome.

Kim: 37:37

That's great to not. I'm very happy not drinking anymore right and you do look great, thank you.

Michael: 37:46

Yeah, I feel great, and that's I mean just literally the difference in how I feel and the energy that I have is just insane.

Kim: 37:56

So let's not call it a present for nothing uh, ain't that the truth? How do you pull yourself out of a magical slump?

Michael: 38:13

You know, I think I kind of touched on it earlier, but it's, it's just this idea that I have of of riding that wave, like understanding that it's not going to stay here forever, feel like, allow myself to feel whatever feeling it is, that I'm going through from a magical slump, and then like moving forward. I actually wrote about, wrote about this ironically, in one of my books and then came to find out that once it was published they took it out and I was like, oh damn, because I was like at a signing and I was literally talking about it and people were like, where is it in the book? And I was like, well, let's see. And I was like, oh well, they edited it out. But it's this idea that again, thinking of going back to this idea that, like you know, witches were tapped into nature, right, the seasons.

Michael: 38:50

We internally have internal seasons too and that is very much connected to our moods, how we feel our magic as well, like I've learned that I feel most magical and tapped into my magic, like between the months of like March, march through the beginning of June, and then again like September through November. And it's interesting because, if we look at it, like Beltane and Samhain are there and they're like, depending on where you are in the world, they're the opposites. So those are the that those course cross quarters like half marks of the year. That's what I just just. It's my internal season of feeling most magical and working the most magic that I do, and then you know more of, like, the winter and the summer months I'm I'm not really doing it.

Michael: 39:37

So the big like spring, equinox, yeah, like spring and fall, is where I'm like at with my magic and other seasons. I'm just kind of not and I've just learned to just go with the ebb and flow of it, learn like lean into my own personal wheel of the year and and know that it's not going to last forever. Like just like night there, dawn will come eventually. Like I just try not to to like put too much pressure on myself to oh, my God, I have to get out of this like I'm just like you know what it's here, we're just gonna make make the most of it be in the now, like you said at the beginning yeah, which is so in like.

Michael: 40:19

Not aries of me either. We have no chill normally, but I have my moments of no chill, but I don't know, I've just learned to calm the fuck down Like it's like I don't know. Aries, we're like little Labrador puppies, like so much full of energy, but as we get older we're just kind of like oh my God, I don't have time to run in circles anymore.

Kim: 40:44

What is something you wish was discussed more in the witch community oh um, glamour magic.

Michael: 40:52

I wish that there was like more of an appreciation for my niche, because we have, like what? Probably 2 000 books on green witchcraft at this point and like how to be a psychic witch, like I want more glamour. Okay, I want more like soft lovey stuff and not just that. But I would love to see a renaissance of like love magic, because I remember, like the 90s and the early 2000s, love spells were where it was at.

Michael: 41:17

There were so many love spell books and that was like the real marker and I get that, like I've known, I know, from like a psychological place people are starting to kind of veer away from like the need for relationships and things, but like there is so much more to love magic than just relationships, like there's self love, there's that self empowerment that comes from it. So I would love to see that discussed more in the witchcraft and not have it be so, so tarot focused and so like plants and crystals focus, like it's fun I love all of those things too but like it's oversaturated, we've done it. We get it like how can we do magic a different way? That's what I would say and not really like I don't.

Michael: 42:01

I don't want to come across like I'm knocking anyone that does those or anyone that's written about those. It's like I get it, I love it too, and we all there's. There's enough room for all of us and the various things that we like and we don't like. But yeah, there's, I think, like three books on glamour witchcraft. Like I wrote one, deborah Castellino had written one and St Thomas has written one like where, where it at, can we get some more glamour please?

Kim: 42:27

I do feel like there's a lot of focus on stuff, right?

Michael: 42:32

now that's another thing too, and it's like I get the stuff thing from like from one perspective of like, from a glamorous perspective, right, like for me. But I mean, what I teach with glamor is too, it's like you have to figure out what works for you. It's figuring out your own personal style that, like again, works for you and your magic, and so I like a lot of stuff. I like a more campier, maximalist kind of style in all of my life.

Michael: 43:02

So I, I, but at the same time too, is like, literally this week was like, do I really need all of this shit? Like, yeah, I don't know. And even from like the witchcraft perspective to it and to kind of this piggybacks off of your question earlier like stuff that's a little bit different from like my, my past, like I used to have all of the, the supplies. My, my aunt actually even joked at a holiday recently. It's like, do you remember when, like we, michael was 12 and for christmas he was asking for a cauldron and a knife, like we should have maybe been working, and I was like, yeah, I'm like I had to have the cauldron, the knife, the, the, the etheme, the wand, the tarot, the crystals, the, everything. It was like the chalice, oh my god, yeah, and I needed to have like five different statues and like all of the candles. It's just, I don't know, I don't have all of that anymore. I have beautiful shrines to my goddesses and I do have the supplies that I need, or I'll make it work with what I do, but as much of a maximalist as I am, I'm trying to find ways to minimalize my practice and the things that I need, because, again.

Michael: 44:14

I mean it's kind of like that old age saying it's like you know, if you don't have any tools around you and you're just like in a cornfield, how are you going to do your magic? And we can't be reliant on tools. They are literally just cornfield. Yeah, they're instruments. Well, because around around Chicago in the suburbs there's lots of corn here. So I go to the cornfields in my mind but um, but yeah, it's like, at the end of the day, you can't be super reliant on a tool. It's just there to be a conductor of energy and we are the driver of the energy. So at the end of the day, it's just, it comes down to us.

Kim: 44:51

And I sell stuff. I mean, I have a jewelry and an altar tools in my shop, but I still don't want a bunch of stuff. I just don't want it. I don't want stuff like don't send me stuff yeah send me a gift certificate to a massage. Yes, but not an object too.

Kim: 45:09

Yeah, I want more of the experience, things like, yeah, a massage or a nice dinner or something yeah, I was gonna say a fancy meal, yeah, okay, think of the three biggest influences on your practice. Not necessarily people. It can be a book or a philosophy, whatever.

Michael: 45:33

Thank them for the effect they've had on your practice oh, okay, well, the very first one would be, uh, fiona horn, um, who is my magical mentor and high priestess. So she's another author, um, if someone's not too familiar with her, she she has like 15 books like, and was very much kind of, um, the poster child of witchcraft in the early 2000s, along with, like silver raven wolf, so, um, but I just loved fiona. She had like such glamorous like aesthetic and you know, I got, I got sucked into into witchcraft through her teachings, like it wasn't her until I saw her books that everything kind of clicked. So there would be no glam witch if there was no Fiona horn, um, she's passed the torch on to me. So, uh, thank you for that, um, my little witch, mama.

Michael: 46:26

And and then I would say that Lilith, um, as the goddess, has been the other biggest influence, um, because she's led me to everything that has happened in my life so far. I mean, it was her that led me to Fiona, so to speak, and I write about that ad nauseum in the first book. So I know we got time limits here, but Lilith really has led the way for me in a lot of ways and so thank you for always being a guiding light in that regard. And then for the third, I'll say Aphrodite Venus, because my astrological chart is exceptionally dominated with Venus placements and aspects. So I'm a very Venus-oriented individual and Venus is the goddess of glamourour, and that's what I practice I practice glamour. So thank you for enhancing um the magic that I, I conjure do you have advice for new witches?

Michael: 47:32

I mean I have lots of advice mean, the very first advice would be to try not to compare yourself too hard to others, um, because there's always going to be people that are more advanced than you. There's going to be people that are less advanced than you. So so try to stop looking outward for, and don't look outward for, approval either. Focus inward, focus on this journey that you have within for yourself. That might change a little bit if you kind of go into like an initiatory kind of practice. I don't have familiarity with that because I'm a solitary, but I would say that if you are another solitary, really kind of focus on you. What makes you happy? Why do you want to practice witchcraft? What are the tools and the objects and the things that make you happy, that you feel drawn to? Try to try to tap in more to your intuition and believe it. Don't second guess your intuition. I know it's, it's hard because we kind of get drilled out of it from society. It's just like like with killing our imagination and create creativity and stuff like that.

Michael: 48:36

But I would just say that, and I also say read a lot, read everything, read everything you can, um, and do you know? It's not it. It doesn't matter how much knowledge you have If you're not actually doing anything with it. You have to go out and do some stuff again, like it doesn't matter how many love spells you're doing, but if you're not on any apps and you're not networking out there, if you're sitting at home on Netflix every single night, how are you going to meet somebody? It's just not going to happen. You have to do the work, too. Same if you're trying to get a new job or if you're trying to get more money, play the lottery to jobs like actually actively do the work that you're seeking on top of doing the spells, and the manifestation will naturally happen now that you've seen the questions, who do you think would be fun to have on the show and answer these questions?

Michael: 49:37

Okay, so you're going to need I would like, of course, fiona is who I definitely recommend. Fiona's always got really amazing things to talk about and say and she's got all of these amazing retreats coming up that are magical in Egypt and Bali. So she's got a lot of cool stuff, really interesting, fascinating individual to chat with. I'd also recommend my best friend and I call him my big sister, but chris allen um, he's got a lot of different books out there a lot on more shamanic practices and um the underworld and things like that, so I think he might be a really good fit for the show as well yay, thank you, of course.

Kim: 50:17

Is there anything else? You wanted to bring up Any questions? I didn't ask that you wanted to talk about, or any questions that you had for me?

Michael: 50:26

No, not at all. I will like to pitch a little bit of some of my work, though. Yay, yes. So I have a new book coming out with Lle luellen. It's available for pre-order now and it's called glamstrology, and I'm really proud of this book, like, I know, I think, all of us authors. It's like what's your favorite book you've ever written and it's the newest one that we've done. But this one's really cool. It's the longest one I've ever written. It came in at like 94 000 words, which is a lot, and it'll be a 360-page book.

Michael: 50:59

But it's about how to use your astrological chart to create a signature style from a magical perspective. So it fuses the arts of astrology and glamour magic into one scenario, into one practice, and so there's various different ways that you would do that. One is to just kind of tap into again the magic of you by developing your own signature style. But also you can then utilize, if you're familiar with other people's astrological signs and you wanted to either kind of gain favoritism from them or kind of like rough, like mitigate conflict with them, you can kind of see what styles work best for them so that you can glamour yourself in that style to kind of appease them. So, for example, like I've talked about this philosophy as I was running it to a friend of mine in new orleans who was having a really difficult time with their boss, who was a scorpio and she was an aries, and so she I was like, well, here's some of the different tips and techniques that I would say, like, start dressing in more of a Scorpio way, and here are, like, some of the different types of clothing and colors and things like that to use. And then showing off a week later she's like, oh, my God, it's like the light switch changed at work. Like she's like treating me nicer, it's not, like there's no issue, and I'm like see, so there's a lot of different ways to kind of go about this book. But, um, the system of glam astrology it's.

Michael: 52:21

It's not just using your sun sign, because, like, if you've ever done tarot, you know one tarot card means one thing but depending upon the other cards in the spread, it could kind of change the outcome of it. So the same thing is said here. There's why so many people are like, oh, as somebody else just recently got to kind of like peer review the book and it mentioned, like I never have liked these types of books or essays or blogs, because I never really connect well with the Capricorn's style choices, but the way you broke things down were so much more fascinating. So, real quick. Like, it uses your sun sign because that's our personality. So that's one component. But it also is going to utilize your Venus sign because that's your appreciation to beauty and aesthetics. Then it also is going to connect to your Neptune, because Neptune is the planet of illusions and that is going to really kind of focus a lot on like hair and glamming it up with lots of makeup and things like that. Then it's also going to connect with your rising sign, which is how you feel comfortable in your style, as well as your midheaven or your 10th house placement, which is how you're publicly perceived. So that's like your natural glamour that you're already kind of giving out there. And then a lesser component is your second house ruler, which kind of rules over values and shopping, so it kind of can dictate, like how you prefer to shop. So putting that all together in the formula that I prescribe in the book will allow you to then kind of put together your perfect outfits and create a unique style that is all your own, that lets you vibe better in the world around you.

Michael: 53:57

So I'm super excited for this book. It will be coming out in October, but again, it's available now for pre-order. Pre-orders are very, very important for us authors because it signals to the publisher how many books they need and if we're doing a good job and all that good stuff. So it's my first book with Llewellyn. I'd love to work more with them. Please pre-order this book. Um, it's my first book with Llewellyn. I'd love to work more with them. Please pre-order this book.

Michael: 54:20

Um, I also, um, uh, offer a variety of different services through my website as well too. Um, so I do tarot readings. Um, I also do magical makeovers, where I will kind of go through your astrological chart with you and, um, kind of figure out how we can kind of style, like rev up your style in a way excuse me to get what you want in life. So those are, and then I also do just a general astrological readings as well. So all of that is available for more information on my website, wwwtheglamwitchcom. If you see you want to just schedule an appointment with me, go ahead and just contact me through the contact form on the book, on the book, on the on the website page you can tell I'm tired and shoot me an email and then I'll discuss with you what times could kind of work best and we'll go from there.

Kim: 55:12

That sounds so cool. Sounds so cool. So if you wanted to say, gift someone, that they could just email you and say, hey, can I do a gift card or gift certificate or yeah, I've done gift certificates for people in the past, so, yeah, if someone wanted to do that, just email me and we'll figure something out.

Michael: 55:29

Normally I just have like a, like a graphic, that is, a gift card that I can send over to you and once you have it paid, they can contact me, get it scheduled up and we'll go from there.

Kim: 55:44

That sounds so neat. So the last two things I ask of my guests. Thing number one is please recommend something to the listeners. It does not have to be witchy, or occult, or metaphysical or whatever. Whatever you were into this week, please recommend it.

Michael: 56:03

Oh my god, what am I into this week? That's a great question that I don't know. What am I into this week I'm into. My recommendation for this week is something I like to do every now and then, but go on a date with yourself. Just take yourself out on a date, give yourself a nice dinner, maybe go see a movie by yourself and enjoy your own company.

Kim: 56:39

That is wild, because my group is reading the artist's way and one of the things we have to do every week is go on a date with yourself. Slash your artist. I love it. It's weird how much self-dates have come up in the past two weeks. It's weird how much self-dates have come up in the past two weeks. It's very weird.

Michael: 56:58

Hey, someone must have spiked the incense because it's out there in the collective conscious or whatever it is called. But no, I love that. I love doing it. I try to go out like once a week and kind of enjoy my time and give myself a dinner or something like that, or buy yourself flowers or just do something nice for yourself.

Kim: 57:20

Yeah. The second thing is please tell me a story.

Michael: 57:26

A story.

Kim: 57:30

It can be from your life, it can be from your childhood, from last month, or it can be just a story that you heard as a kid, that you really like, and it stuck with you like a made-up story or a personal story either one, whatever comes out of your mouth oh, my god, I have a story in mind, but I don't remember how it goes, but I, hmm, what story will I say?

Michael: 58:03

Okay, so I have a Bengal cat. His name is Fuji, he just turned 13. And I got him after a really rough breakup Not that one I mentioned earlier, but it was before that and he was an impulse purchase and somehow became my best friend. So I just I needed that love in my life. But before I also used to have snakes, and I had one familiar for about 16 years. He's a ball python and I've always had snakes in my life, ever since I was a young child.

Michael: 58:46

And this one, just I felt called to him at the reptile house and got him, and he told me his name just popped into my head when I was holding him that his name was Otis, and so I had him for a while and he passed away the year before last, so December 2022,. He passed away, which was sad. And then I also had a Dumeral boa, which is a beautiful, beautiful snake, um, just about six feet long, uh, from Madagascar. Um, I had her for about like 14 years as well. And um, a rosy boa that I had maybe for like six, and she's actually on the cover of the glam witch. But those two I had to um, uh, adopt out to um somebody that was interested in them, because I was moving and I couldn't not have snakes in the building.

Kim: 59:43

So I think it's always so weird when they don't let reptiles. That's so strange to me, like it's one of the least offensive things that you could have.

Michael: 59:52

Yeah, but so I ended up hearing and it's like it's just an eye roll because it's always it's never the snake's fault but it's the irresponsible owner. But someone didn't lock their cage and like their 10-foot python got out and it went into a neighbor's house and she like locked herself in her bedroom for three days and like was like starving and it's just a big thing. So that's why snakes weren't allowed here. But it was a great apartment. That's crazy. It was just turned into a big thing.

Kim: 1:00:16

So that's why snakes weren't allowed here, but it was a great apartment.

Michael: 1:00:17

That's crazy. It was just. I just felt like I couldn't give these snakes what they wanted anymore. And the, the one, the Dumeral boa, her name was Eve. I did see like the, the guy was interested in her because he had a male and he was interested in breeding and I was like, well, girl, go breed. She never had nothing for 14 years and sure enough, I just looked on like their instagram site and it looked like she was. She just like made it and is like about to have babies and stuff. So I am a glam ma in the world in some capacity, um, so it's cool. I I hope I know that they're in a much better place than um than where they were, so that's sweet congratulations they're at their sanctuaries.

Kim: 1:01:04

Well, thank you for being on the show and for telling me stories of course, thanks for having me.

Michael: 1:01:10

It was fun. I loved all of your questions.

Kim: 1:01:12

Like so yay, like so impressive so everybody go follow the Glam Witch immediately, pre-order that book and I will see you on Instagram. Okay, bye, so Michael.

Michael: 1:01:26

Yes.

Kim: 1:01:28

Welcome to Hive House.

Michael: 1:01:30

Hi, thanks for having me. I'm here.

Kim: 1:01:34

You're welcome, everyone for my microphone making bong sounds. Oops, okay, first, what is that? Is that fresca?

Michael: 1:01:45

it sure is, and I'm being really ridiculous right now by drinking like just the full two liter. But it's just me, okay, say when?

Kim: 1:01:59

Say when. What's the funniest thing you ever got caught doing or didn't get caught? Either way, the thing you shouldn't have been doing. But you either got caught or didn't get caught.

Michael: 1:02:10

The funniest thing. Okay, let's see the funniest thing I got caught doing, or I didn't get caught doing it. I don't know why. I mean, this goes back way, way, way long. I probably shouldn't even be sharing it, but I'm going to do it anyway.

Kim: 1:02:25

To hear more of the Members Only episode, head over to crepuscularconjuration. com. The Monthly Magic tier will give you access to the Monthly Magic Marco Polo group, the Private Facebook group, and access to the monthly Magic Marco Polo group, the private Facebook group, and access to the written monthly spells. There's also Crepuscular Conjurations giving you bonus podcast episodes, coloring pages, guided meditations, spell crafting videos, printable downloads and a lot more. The free Witchy Wonderment level will give you a little sample of everything I just mentioned. You can also visit my shop, Clever Kim's Curios, to get spell boxes, one at a time or by monthly subscription, intentional handcrafted jewelry that I make especially for witches and handmade altar tools.

Kim: 1:03:08

You can even listen to the full Your Average Witch podcast library, including show notes and transcripts. Check it out at crepuscularconjuration. com. Thanks for listening to this episode of Your Average Witch. You can find us all around the internet on Instagram, at youraveragewitchpodcast, facebook. com/ groups/ hivehouse, at www. youraveragewitch. com, and at your favorite podcast service. If you'd like to recommend someone for the podcast, like to be on it yourself, or if you'd like to advertise on the podcast, send an email to youraveragewitchpodcast at gmailcom. Thanks for listening and I'll see you next Tuesday.